For this guide, we defaulted to the most popular choices in our quest to come up with a tree that would please the most people. Our interview with the sales manager at National Tree Company yielded a few key facts about trends in the industry. The 7½-foot size is the most popular, as US home ceilings are usually 8 feet high, but we’ve also added several smaller (6½-foot) trees to this guide for those with smaller homes or apartments. People hugely prefer pre-lit trees, as well; to cover everyone’s tastes, we decided to look for a tree that could switch between all-white and multicolor. People also want artificial trees to appear convincingly lifelike. And although first-time tree buyers will probably be surprised at a good tree’s price, we knew we’d be in the mainstream range as long as we came in between $250 and $400, judging by the information we got from House of Holiday’s Larry Gurino, National Tree, and our own research. An artificial tree can easily last 10 or 15 years, so the amortized cost is a lot easier to swallow—the average price for a live tree as of 2016 was $51, according to CBS News.
Color+Clear™ Lights Our exclusive Color + Clear™ remote-controlled lighting system is available in both incandescent and energy-saving LED. The handy remote lets you choose clear lights, multi-colored lights, or both. With more than 50% additional lights, your tree will still have plenty of beautiful lights even if only one light type is selected. If you choose both clear and colored lights, your tree will display more lights than any other artificial tree you will find.
The 6.5 ft. Snowy Pine is an Artificial The 6.5 ft. Snowy Pine is an Artificial Christmas Tree from Fraser Hill Farm. This model features a traditional full silhouette with extremely lifelike foliage and all-metal hinged branch construction. A heavily flocked finish was designed to resemble freshly fallen snow that is true to season and produces a natural ... More + Product Details Close

Puleo is Larry Gurino’s favored brand at House of Holiday; like National Tree, it’s a New Jersey–based, family-run business. Unfortunately, Puleo is not as widely available as some other brands, but its quality ranks among the best. Gurino has sold Puleo trees for 20 years, and they were some of the nicest-looking trees we came across in our search. If you find one you like, you can be confident in your purchase.

“This product does what it says it will do. The screw-in braces are very easy to use, and held an eight-foot tree without any problems whatsoever. I’m sure it would be fine with a ten-footer. I got another one for my parents-in-law, after I used their ancient tree stand, which took me an HOUR to get set up right! This stand should take no more than ten minutes to get your tree up and stabilized. Merry Christmas!”
Alternatively, it is identified with the "tree of paradise" of medieval mystery plays that were given on 24 December, the commemoration and name day of Adam and Eve in various countries. In such plays, a tree decorated with apples (to represent the forbidden fruit) and wafers (to represent the Eucharist and redemption) was used as a setting for the play. Like the Christmas crib, the Paradise tree was later placed in homes. The apples were replaced by round objects such as shiny red balls.[10][11][17][18][19][20]
Product is as stated. The only shortcoming seems to be the factory packaging. The one ornament, a glass Christmas tree ball, was shattered. The original protection was the ball was in a plastic bag, with the thin blanket included wrapped around it, placed loosely in the box with the tree and the two parts of the base stand. The base stand pieces were not secured, so they would shift in the 2 foot long box, which by their weight alone would cause the glass ball to break. If any would arrive in one piece would be a miracle. However, it is easily replaced with another once the tree arrives, so it is not a big loss, but it does take away from the product overall. No one wants something new to arrive with a piece broken. But it does bring the story alive to have something that had only been seen in the cartoon story in your own home.
We started our quest for the best artificial christmas tree to buy by researching the artificial Christmas tree market. While there are quite a few brands out there, many of the trees that are sold are almost (if not completely) identical in material and composition. Many of them are just renamed for different brands. We also found that some stores, like Walmart, sold multiple brands online but only had their in-house brand in our local brick and mortar stores.
Pre-lit trees and type of lights: While deciding whether to buy a pre-lit tree is a personal decision, we suggest that you don’t. Though the quality of string lights has improved in the past several years, you still risk the lights on your tree burning out before you’ve gotten full use of the tree. Furthermore, you usually cannot remove the lights from the tree.

The soundtrack to A Charlie Brown Christmas is an unorthodox mix of traditional Christmas music and jazz. The jazz portions were created by the Vince Guaraldi Trio. Producer Lee Mendelson, a fan of jazz, heard Guaraldi's crossover hit "Cast Your Fate to the Wind" on the radio not long after completion of his documentary Charlie Brown & Charles Schulz, and contacted the musician to produce music for the special.[4] Guaraldi composed the music for the project, creating an entire piece, "Linus and Lucy," to serve as the theme.[5] When Coca-Cola commissioned A Charlie Brown Christmas in spring 1965, Guaraldi returned to write the music.[2] The first instrumentals for the special were recorded by Guaraldi at Glendale, California's Whitney Studio with bassist Monty Budwig and drummer Colin Bailey.[21] Recycling "Linus and Lucy" from the earlier special, Guaraldi completed two new originals for the special, "Skating", and "Christmas Time Is Here".[21] In the weeks preceding the premiere, Mendelson encountered trouble finding a lyricist for Guaraldi's instrumental intro, and penned "Christmas Time is Here" in "about 15 minutes" on the backside of an envelope.[9]

Maybe you prefer the traditional bolted stand, or maybe you're in the market for a stand that's designed to make set-up a total breeze. Or, maybe you just want one that's secure enough to hold the biggest tree you can fit inside your house. In any case, these are the best Christmas tree stands you can buy this holiday season, and why they're worth the purchase. Add your favorite ornaments, and you're good to go.

Our Snap Tree™ is a comprehensive and effortless tree assembly and storage solution. Simply snap the stand in, tilt it up, connect the treetop, and setup is complete. A built-in rolling stand offers you an easy way to find the perfect spot for your tree. After the holidays, conveniently store the tree on its stand with its upright custom storage bag. The Quick Set™ lighting system incorporates all light strings within the tree trunk. Light connections are automatically made while setting up, so a single plug illuminates your tree.
Featuring our exclusive Real Feel™ needles, our highly realistic trees mimic the texture and color of true evergreen foliage, allowing you to enjoy all of the advantages of an artificial Christmas tree without sacrificing the beauty of a real one. These realistic tree varieties look and feel so lifelike and natural, you can almost smell the familiar fragrance of snow-covered pine on Christmas morning. Its sturdy, evenly placed branches and tips offer plenty of room for your Christmas decorations, making it easier for all members of the family to hang their favorite cards and ornaments. From the lofty beauty of the Grand Fir to the sleek design of the Oregonian Slim that allows you to save decorating space, you can find a tree that fits your home and style perfectly.

At the end of the Middle Ages, an early predecessor appears referred in the Regiment of the Order of Cister around 1400, in Alcobaça, Portugal. The Regiment of the local high-Sacristans of the Cistercian Order refers to what may be considered one of the oldest references to the Christmas tree: "Note on how to put the Christmas branch, scilicet: On the Christmas eve, you will look for a large Branch of green laurel, and you shall reap many red oranges, and place them on the branches that come of the laurel, specifically as you have seen, and in every orange you shall put a candle, and hang the Branch by a rope in the pole, which shall be by the candle of the altar-mor."[21]

Georgians have their own traditional Christmas tree called Chichilaki, made from dried up hazelnut or walnut branches that are shaped to form a small coniferous tree. These pale-colored ornaments differ in height from 20 cm (7.9 in) to 3 meters (9.8 feet). Chichilakis are most common in the Guria and Samegrelo regions of Georgia near the Black Sea, but they can also be found in some stores around the capital of Tbilisi.[citation needed] Georgians believe that Chichilaki resembles the famous beard of St. Basil the Great, because Eastern Orthodox Church commemorates St. Basil on January 1.
The 30" round Christmas Tree Mat is composed of two non-woven fiber materials separated by a patented barrier media. It is lightweight and can be easily cleaned. It is designed to protect hardwood and carpeted floors from spilled live tree stand water and resulting stains as well as hardwood scratches associated with a trimmed tree during the holidays. Can be used with live or artificial trees.
Debi liked that the Krinner was “very solid” but said that the 18-pound weight made it, “a bit cumbersome” moving it up and down the stairs when taking it out and putting it away for the season. She also noted that filling the Krinner with water “was easier than previous stands we have owned, but not necessarily easy, since you have to practically lay on the floor to find the fill zone. But definitely not difficult, and it held a lot more water [than other stands], as I remember, which is nice.” Erica tested the similar Krinner Tree Genie XXL Deluxe (which has the same water reservoir) and said that, “the well is so huge that you just don’t have to water as much in general as you would with most tree stands.”

Tired of your Christmas Tree Stand falling over and breaking your priceless family Christmas tree ornaments don't settle for a weak undersized plastic Christmas tree stand. Buy this Live Tree Stand, made from heavy duty powder coated steel and backed by a limited lifetime warranty, these Christmas Live Tree Stands are truly the last Christmas Tree Stand you will ever buy.

Cost: The cost of artificial Christmas trees varies dramatically. And, while it’s true that higher cost is usually synonymous with a higher branch tip count and better looking tree, there are some bargains out there that look pretty realistic for an affordable price. The trees on our list run the gambit in cost, starting at about $20 (for a tiny apartment-sized tree) to over $100 for one of our top contenders. Though all of our picks fall under $200, it’s not unheard of to drop nearly half a grand for a tree.
Add simple elegance by flocking a premade pinecone wreath. In a well-ventilated area, spray several layers of canned flocking on the wreath, allowing each layer to dry completely. To dislay as a coffee table piece, add adhesive-backed felt pads to the bottom of a round mirror that is slightly larger than your wreath. Place wreath on top of mirror. Add glass votives.
Our testing also included the Contech Enterprises TS9405 Indoor Steel Christmas Tree Stand and the currently unavailable Emerald Innovations XTS1 Swivel Straight Tree Stand For 12′ Tree (also known as the 1-Minute Tree Stand). Neither was as stable as the Tree Genie XXL or the Cinco. The Emerald Innovations started to tip at 30 Newtons of pulling force, and the Contech tipped at 25 Newtons. Performance was similar with large and small trees. Both the Emerald Innovations and Contech stands have 1½-gallon reservoirs—sufficient, but the smallest among tested models.

That being said, this NTC tree was even easier to set up than the Best Choice Products tree. It was so easy, in fact, that two people could set it up in under 45 minutes. The hinged branches literally fell into place as soon as we snapped the the three sections of the tree together. Then we did some fluffing and it was ready to go! As mentioned, this tree also left our arms a little bit scratched up after the fluffing process.

Ease of assembly, disassembly and storage: Most of the artificial trees on the market (including the ones on our list) come in three parts that are easy to click together. However, the process of “fluffing” the tree (spreading the tips apart and arranging the branches) can be time consuming. The more time you spend fluffing your tree, the better it will look. More on that later.
Kind of like your preference for toothpaste or what you eat for breakfast in the morning, the Christmas tree you choose will come down largely to personal taste. So, we didn’t get overly technical with our tree comparisons. Instead, we simply considered objective factors like the number of branch tips on each of our top contenders. We took an in-depth look at the material composition of each tree. Then we looked at what it took to assemble and disassemble each one, and considered each tree’s cost.
Linus and the others, realizing they were too hard on Charlie Brown, quietly follow him to Snoopy's doghouse. Linus admits he always liked the tree while gently propping the drooping branch back in its upright position and wraps his blanket around its base, and when the others add the remaining decorations from Snoopy's doghouse to the tree, Lucy agrees. They start humming "Hark! The Herald Angels Sing". Charlie Brown returns, surprised at the humming and the redecorated tree, and the gang all joyously shout "Merry Christmas, Charlie Brown!" They all begin to sing "Hark! The Herald Angels Sing," and Charlie Brown joins them as the special ends.
Despite the popularity of the strip and acclaim from advertisers, networks were not interested in the special.[5] By April 1965, Time featured the Peanuts gang on its magazine cover, perhaps prompting a call from John Allen of the New York-based McCann Erickson Agency.[2] Mendelson imagined he would sell his documentary, and blindly agreed to Allen's proposal: an animated half-hour Peanuts Christmas special.[5] The Coca-Cola Company was looking for a special for advertising during the holiday season. "The bad news is that today is Wednesday and they'll need an outline in Atlanta by Monday," Allen remarked to Mendelson.[6] He quickly contacted Schulz, and the duo got to work with plans for a Peanuts Christmas special.[2] The duo prepared an outline for the Coca-Cola executives in less than one day, and Mendelson would later recall that the bulk of ideas came from Schulz, whose "ideas flowed nonstop."[7] According to Mendelson, their pitch to Coca-Cola consisted of "winter scenes, a school play, a scene to be read from the Bible, and a sound track combining jazz and traditional music."[8] The outline did not change over the course of its production.[9]
Real vs. fake. Which is better? It’s a highly-contested topic each holiday season, and it’s one that the American Christmas Tree Association (the organization representing the artificial tree industry) and the National Christmas Tree Association (the organization representing the real tree industry) take seriously. Both groups make their cases for selecting either a real or faux tree, and we used them to inform our comparison.
Add a traditional touch to your holiday home Add a traditional touch to your holiday home deor this season with our 24 in. Artifical Meadow Fir Christmas Wreath. This wreath features 225 evergreen tips for an elegant natural look. Pre-wired with 35 battery-operated warm white LED lights for a gorgeous glow. A timer is included allowing you to ... More + Product Details Close
As Allen was in Europe, the duo received no feedback on their pitch for several days.[7] When Allen got in touch with them, he informed them that Coca-Cola wanted to buy the special, but also wanted it for an early December broadcast, giving the duo just six months to scramble together a team to produce the special. Mendelson assured him – without complete confidence in his statements – that this would be no problem. Following this, A Charlie Brown Christmas entered production.[7]
For this guide, we defaulted to the most popular choices in our quest to come up with a tree that would please the most people. Our interview with the sales manager at National Tree Company yielded a few key facts about trends in the industry. The 7½-foot size is the most popular, as US home ceilings are usually 8 feet high, but we’ve also added several smaller (6½-foot) trees to this guide for those with smaller homes or apartments. People hugely prefer pre-lit trees, as well; to cover everyone’s tastes, we decided to look for a tree that could switch between all-white and multicolor. People also want artificial trees to appear convincingly lifelike. And although first-time tree buyers will probably be surprised at a good tree’s price, we knew we’d be in the mainstream range as long as we came in between $250 and $400, judging by the information we got from House of Holiday’s Larry Gurino, National Tree, and our own research. An artificial tree can easily last 10 or 15 years, so the amortized cost is a lot easier to swallow—the average price for a live tree as of 2016 was $51, according to CBS News.
^ The Christmas Tree: published by Darton and Clark, London. "The ceremony of the Christmas tree, so well known throughout Germany, bids fair to be welcomed among us, with the other festivities of the season, especially now the Queen, within her own little circle, has set the fashion, by introducing it on the Christmas Eve in her own regal palace." Book review of The Christmas Tree from the Weekly Chronicle, 14 December 1844, quoted in an advert headlined "A new pleasure for Christmas" in The Times, 23 December 1844, p. 8.
The Cinco Express fits in the mid-sized tree stand range. It is ideal for real trees up to ten feet tall with a trunk diameter of up to seven inches. This stand is made of heavy-duty plastic. The base features three galvanized pins in its center to hold the tree in place before final adjustments. A push-pull ratchet mechanism makes it easier to set up and take down your tree. The base has an overall diameter of 20 inches and fits two gallons of water.

In anticipation of Christmas, I ordered, received and used Charlie Brown's Christmas Tree 2 weeks before the 25th. I use it Every time I have come home by triggering the music button. While the tune is redundant, it has a happy pleasant rhythm to it and keeps me in that great pre-Xmas spirit. In fact, on Christmas day my son-in-law immediately recognized Charlie Brown's Christmas song and pined for such a gift next year. I intend to order this wonderful symbolic leaning tree with lonely ornament in 2012 to add to his annual pleasure.

In case you haven't seen the movie, here is how it goes. Charlie Brown (a local boy who seems to fail in everything he does), is upset because no one has given him a Christmas card, plus all of his friends seem to have forgotten the true meaning of Christmas. All his sister wants for Christmas are toys, she says, "I want what's coming to me." Charlie buys a tiny Christmas tree for the Christmas play, but it's made fun of by his friends. Fed up with everybody, Charlie finally yells, "Does anyone know the true meaning of Christmas?" What happens next is one of the best scenes in a Christmas movie ever! Charlie's friend stands up and announces to everyone in the room the true meaning of Christmas, quoting from the Bible.
Who does't remember and love the classic Charlie Brown Christmas? A Peanuts favorite, this sparse 18-inch tree is designed to look just like the wilting tree from the classic Charlie Brown production, and comes complete with a lovely pale blue Linus blanket as a bundled accessory. Not everyone can have that perfectly shaped and decorated Christmas Tree - celebrate the lesser trees of this Christmas season! Charlie Brown showed us all that the meaning of Christmas was in your heart and that every tree has that potential to be the greatest Christmas tree ever. Keep this spirit alive and get this heart warming Christmas Tree to decorate your home this season. Sure to bring a smile to everyone's face, and perfect for any Charlie Brown fans. Your family will love it for years to come!
The quick-release is one feature that really set the Cinco apart from the rest of the lower-priced stands. You know the design: Four bolts tighten against the tree trunk to stabilize it, and the bolts can thread in to grip a tree with a diameter as little as a 3½ inches. Cinco’s improvement to this standard system is that each screw has a release lever so it can be quickly snugged up against the trunk and then tightened for only the final turns. You won’t need to lie on your belly and slowly spin the entire bolt toward the tree (four times in a row).

“Been waiting for years to get an artificial tree, and I chose the right brand and style! It looks fabulous when fluffed out. Granted it takes at least 45 minutes to get it from the box to fluffed out, more if you are symmetry OCD like I am, but it is well worth the time. Pack-up is very easy into the reusable box to store for next Christmas. Love it. Well-designed and well-made. Great value for the money.”

The stand accommodates large capacity trees up to eight feet tall and six inches wide. The base holds up to one gallon of water, and is supported by a “spill catcher” for the occasional overwatering. To stay in place, the frame contains a stabilizing spike and steel nut screws for smoother assembly. Bonus: The five gold-tone screws are made of wear-resistant hardware, so their exteriors won’t be compromised as you use them through the years. Supplemented by a five year warranty, this is one tree stand that’ll last you for all the occasions to come.

If you long for the beautiful glow of lights on your tree but dread untangling the wires, Balsam Hill's pre-lit Christmas trees are the answer. All of our lights are UL® approved and professionaly strung on the tree by hand to minimize the appearance of wires. Each of our pre-lit trees for indoor use come with premium commercial grade lights so that if one bulb burns out or is removed, the rest stay lit. We have a wide variety of pre-lit lighting options to suit every decorating need.

Since the early 20th century, it has become common in many cities, towns, and department stores to put up public Christmas trees outdoors, such as the Macy's Great Tree in Atlanta (since 1948), the Rockefeller Center Christmas Tree in New York City, and the large Christmas tree at Victoria Square in Adelaide. The use of fire retardant allows many indoor public areas to place real trees and be compliant with code. Licensed applicants of fire retardant solution spray the tree, tag the tree, and provide a certificate for inspection. Real trees are popular with high end visual merchandising displays around the world. Leading global retailers such as Apple often place real trees in their window displays. In 2009, Apple placed two Fraser fir trees in every one of its retail establishments.[citation needed]